Trivia Section I, Island Water Power
Island Water Power
The island water power, also called the upper-water power, was located on the inside
of the upper oxbow below what is now the Ochsner Park. It was not an island until a mill-race
was developed.
Trivia Section I, Island Water Power
Addendum to Island Woolen Mill
Generally speaking, there was very little fire protection in
the 1800's. There were horse drawn water wagons that would race to
the scene of the fire. These wagons were generally drawn by teams
of horses that were first to arrive at the fire station. When the fire bell
would ring the race was on...any one on the streets were really not
safe as the horse drawn buggies and wagons came racing, cutting
across lawns etc. for the chance to draw the water wagon and the
$2.00 reward.
In 1885, the Island Woolen Mill had on hand, 40 "Fire
Grenades". A fire grenade was a bottle of thin and fragile glass that
was designed to be thrown on the fire and to break easily, therefore,
the contents would extinguish the flames. You could often find them
in homes and buildings around the turn of the century. The grenades
were filled with various liquids; however, carbon tetrachloride
seemed to work the best. The grenades are very collectible today.
They may come in many different colors and shapes. If you are lucky
enough to find one, remember, they were made to be broken and
destroyed, so use extreme caution in handling these grenades.
In the 1900's they were replaced by pump-type brass and
copper extinguishers produced in large quantities, of which far more
have survived.
Photo of 3 position rack for Harward's pleated and diamond
panel pint grenades.
Island Water Power
McFetridge Home
Trivia Section I, Island Water Power, Illustration #0
Trivia Section I
Island Water Power
Indian Garden", "Wood's Point", "Strawberry Point", "Squaw Point"
and as of late, "Winnequah." It was here that Margaret, Wood's only
child, was born on March 7, 1837.
It was probably in 1839 that the Baraboo rapids drew Wood
and his family to Baraboo. Here he constructed a small 12 X 12 cabin
for the four to survive the first winter in.
Wood was a very even tempered individual except when he
was drinking. Then he was liable to explode at the slightest infraction,
or at least what he considered an infraction. He was a large man and a
strong man and also an early inhabitant of the first jail in Baraboo.
About 1850 the family moved to Prairie du Chien and it was
there that Wood saw his wife for the last time. It is not known what
took place but Mrs. Wood and daughter Hannah moved to Minnesota
to live with the Indians there. Wood and his daughter, Margaret, would
later return to Baraboo along with Wood's brother. Wood's daughter
became acquainted with Charles W. Perry and they were eventually
married. Soon thereafter, the family went on a trip to visit Perry's
family in Milton. It was during this trip that the team, pulling the
wagon, started up suddenly and the jerk caused Wood to fall over
backwards, off the backless seat striking his head. His spine was
injured and he died in great agony about a month later on September
25, 1855 at the age of 60 years. Wood was buried in a little church yard
in Albion and was later moved about 1-1/2 miles north to a new
cemetery....no marker exists.
About Wallace Rowan was a long-time frontiersman from
Tennessee and came to the zinc and lead mining area near Platteville as
early as 1830 via Morgan County, Illinois with his wife and two small
children. Rowan's wife's maiden name was Metcalf and it is said that
the Rowan family could all speak Winnebago fluently. The family
lived at the north end of Lake Mendota, vacating that property just
prior to the grand powwow between General Henry Dodge and the
Winnebago's. The confab was held in the cabin that Rowan had just
Island Woolen Mill Part I
With the help of the writings of an old settler, William
Canfield, who was also an early surveyor plus the McFetridge
Woolen Mill's company newspaper, "Wool Nubs"; an attempt to recall
the chronology of the growth of mills that operated in the upper oxbow of the Baraboo River will be made. An ox-bow refers to any
horseshoe shaped path taken by the river. There exists an upper and a
lower ox-bow of the river in Baraboo. The upper ox-bow in Baraboo
lies beneath Ocshner Park in the western part of Baraboo.
About Abraham Wood; he was from Missouri or Kentucky.
His wife was a Winnebago half-breed; she was a great cook and a very
fine woman. Early on, Wood migrated to Illinois where he may have
had a brother. He is known to have been in Madison about 1836 or
1837. His good friend was Wallace Rowan.
It is reported that Wood conducted a grog shop in Portage and
it is recorded that White Pawnee, an Indian, sometimes referred to as
Vane Blanc, tried to obtain some liquor from Wood by force and with
knife in hand. Wood, who was a very strong man, objected and hit
Pawnee with a club, crushing his skull and killing him. Soon Indians
surrounded Wood's place of business, their goal, to get even. Wood
survived and eventually went to trial in Greed Bay where the grand
jury evidently found that Wood had acted in self defense. However, in
order for Wood to make peace with Chief DeKaury, he had to marry
the chief's daughter. His new wife, Sarah, was partially white. There
was no ceremony. However, after the couple moved to Baraboo, Eben
Peck, being a justice of the peace, married them.
Prior to this marriage, Sarah had a Frenchman for a husband
and they had a daughter Hannah who was 10 years old when Sarah
married Wood. The newly married couple resided on the south shore of
Lake Monona in early 1837 in an area referred to variously as "Old
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Island Water Power
deserted. The family moved to the vicinity of Portage in Columbia
County and then to Baraboo.
Like Rowan's friend Abraham Wood, his burial site is
unknown as no marker exists.
Abraham Wood and Wallace Rowan laid claim to this land
and commenced building their dam there during the winter of 18391840. The dam was placed just above where the Island Woolen Mill
would later be erected.
Draper & Post were the mechanics that constructed the mill.
Draper later became a partner, just prior to the start-up of the mill.
Draper quickly disposed of his shares to Wood and Rowan in 1842. In
1843, Levi Moore, father of Valoo More, bought out Rowan, and
Moses Nulph and Henry Perry bought out Wood. Rowan, being the
frontiersman that he was, then moved into the woods near Elroy and
went back to his old life as an Indian trader. The family lived in the
Elroy area many years prior to Rowan dying in Baraboo and being
buried on what would later be termed, the James Hill farm, north of the
river.
In July of 1844 a flood washed out part of the dam and the mill
and sections of each were carried down the river. It probably started
when A. Barker and James Christie made the first drive of logs down
the river from the Baraboo Pinery. The logs were contained in a boom.
The boom broke away and the logs, in going over the dam, probably
caused the first breach.
There were two men on a raft below the narrows. Fred
Blabern drowned but Ed. Willard survived. Shortly after the flood
Wood took back his half of the property. On August 19, 1844 Wood
and Moore defined their claim by having it properly surveyed. The duo
then decided to build a new low-dam farther up the stream, at the head
of the bend and carry the water across the "bow" by means of a
raceway. The race was laid out in October of 1844 and during the
following winter the ditch was dug by Anderson & Polson and the
"Island" was formed. Old timers tell that the race was not entirely dug
but was sluiced. The sluicing must have been done after the dam was
constructed or there would have been no water to sluice with.
The following summer of 1845, Jabish Clement constructed
the dam and the mill and later purchased Wood's share. Moore &
Clement operated the mill for about two years however their
partnership was not successful.
The property then laid idle between 1847 and 1859, when M.
J. Drown and G. H. Stewart, of Beaver dam assumed control of the
Clement claims and in the spring of 1860 those of L. Moore. Their goal
was to build a woolen mill on the property. Stewart soon withdrew
from the partnership.
It was reported that a dam was constructed in the summer of
1860...this must have been a new dam? At the same time a factory
building, 40 X 90 was constructed, machinery installed and production
started in the fall. In 1865 William Andrews came into the firm; 1866,
Col. D. S. Vittum; 1867, Henry Rich; subsequently, A. A. Avery and
William Rich.
This building, as late as 1924, was referred to as "the old main
building" and was the most central of all the buildings. An "ell" or
wing was constructed on the north end of the building in 1887 and
extended to the west in 1889 and in 1917 was extended eastward to the
bank of the river. An office building was constructed on the south end
and another story was added to the office about1904.
In 1876, James Albert McFetridge, who came from Beaver
Dam as did Drown and Stewart, bought one-fourth interest in the mill
from D. S. Vittum. It is not clear how the other partners were
eliminated, with the exception of Henry Rich, but in the year 1887, W.
H. Hopkins acquired a one-eighth interest and a new firm was created
with three share holders.
During 1887, the factory was enlarged to double its capacity,
and new and improved machinery was installed in all departments. By
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Trivia Section I
Island Water Power
then the company owned all the land and water power supply which
was formerly owned by the Baraboo Manufacturing Company
Sometime between 1887 and 1890, James McFetridge
obtained the one-eighth interest held by Hopkins. McFetridge died in
1893 and his heirs held to his interest, until 1900 when they bought out
Henry Rich's five-eighths interest, giving them the entire property.
In January of 1923, the mill changed from line shaft power to
electricity and at the end of 1923 the company changed from a
partnership to a corporation.
to Jacob Hespeler of Ontario, Canada and in 1878 M. J. Drown
became the owner, still owning it in 1880.
Baraboo Manufacturing Company
(Also known as the "Chair factory")
The Baraboo Manufacturing Company was organized by a
number of prominent business men as a stock company and their
charter was approved on March 22, 1867.
The officers were as follows: President-William Andrews;
Treasurer-B. F. Mills; Secretary-Henry Rich; Board of Directors: B.
F. Mills, H. R. Ryan, M. J. Drown, Henry Rich, William Andrews,
Frederick Hertel, S. W. Ryan, Levi Crouch and William Palmer.
Those members whose names appears in italics soon disposed of their
stock. Others joined the company... A. A. Avery, William Hill,
Charles A. Sumner.
Construction of the factory was commenced in the spring of
1867 with available capital of $35,500. A 40 x 126 ft. factory, which
housed a sawmill, was erected about 200 feet above where later the
McFetridge Island Woolen Mill would stand, which was below
Ocshner Park. They also had a blacksmith shop, warehouse, paint
shop, dry house, steam rooms, sheds, barns, Etc. Part of the machinery
came from the old Ryan-Hollinbeck factory. Henry R. Ryan was the
first manager and was soon replaced by M. Partridge, then C. A.
Sumner followed by M. J. Drown.
Material used was largely Oak which came from the Town of
Freedom and were taken from a flat area about two miles south of the
village of North Freedom. Pine logs were first launched in Seeley's
Creek, and floated in high-water down the Baraboo River. The Pine
was generally not used in the furniture but were used as a raft to float
the Oak logs. The factory produced bedsteads, tables and chairs mostly
and did an extensive business.
Ryan & Hollenbeck
In 1844, George and Edward Willard came to the Baraboo
Valley and made a claim on the river about two miles above the then
Baraboo western city limits. A dam and saw mill were constructed and
placed in operation. The proprietary interests of the Willard's soon
passed to Culver & Conkey, who a year or two later sold out to
Metcalf and Crossman. In 1850, Nathan Paddock and Martin
Waterman purchased Crossman's interest, and for thirteen years the
firm remained unchanged. However, competition and the depressing
effects of the war resulted in creditors taking measures to secure them
from a loss. Captain Levi Moore took charge of the property as a
legal creditor.
The firm had previously constructed a second building and
installed machinery for the manufacturing of furniture, which was
rented and operated by Ryan & Hollenbeck. In 1866 the firm of
Thomas, Claude & Thomas purchased the entire property, and
established a hub & spoke factory in the furniture department, the
furniture machinery was moved to the Baraboo Manufacturing
Company on the island.
A Mr. McDonald, of Chicago then purchased the buildings
and the remaining equipment. McDonald sold the whole works in 1875
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Island Water Power
It is not easy to write without touching on the inner workings
of this factory. Wages in the paint shop were 75-cents a day in 1871.
After a certain period wages were increased to $1.00 per day. These
were "prevailing wages" at the time.
Beds were priced at $2.50 with a like sum for for a table.
Dining room chairs sold for $1.00 each and rockers were $2.50 to
$3.00 each. Ryan & Hollenbeck had an outlet in the up-town shopping
district of Baraboo.
The factory also attempted in 1873 to manufacture threshing
machines, which were known as "Agitators". During the same year
they also produced fanning mills. Castings for the machinery were
made by the Walker Foundry located at the south end of the high
bridge. The machinery's colors were red, yellow and black. However,
the machines did not prove to be succesful and the project was
dropped.
The factory building was two stories with a basement and
when in full operation employed 60 men. The paint shop was 22 X 60,
two stories. It burned in 1885. In the early days, the race had two
branches at the lower end, one for the woolen mill and one for the chair
factory
has been practically completed and Mr. and Mrs. McFetridge hope to
occupy the house by the last of June.
Beautifully situated on the slope of upper Oak Street,
overlooking the entire sweep of the Baraboo valley, the house is
ideally suited to the site it occupies. Of Elizabethan architecture, the
materials used throughout have been selected with an eye to the giving
of an aged effect. A wide variety of building materials in the outside
construction gives the house an unusual charm, the buff of the cement
blending with the deeper stone and brick, while the long and narrow
construction is exceptional, giving the house a spacious effect without
undue size.
It has been the aim of Mr. and Mrs. McFetridge in building
their house to use whatever possible the materials common to the
region, and incidentally Baraboo men have done most of the work.
Some of the most unusual stone in the outer construction is from the
Seibecker quarry, southeast of Baraboo. Unusually hard sandstone of
beautiful polish in places and of lovely tone was quarried here..
Briarhill sandstone is also largely used in the construction and
the shingles of the gables roof are hand rived. All the walls are 15 to 18
inches thick giving perfect insulation.
McFetridge Home
McFetridge Home On Oak Street Nears completion; To Be
Occupied In July, Baraboo Weekly News, April 26, 1928
Terraced Lawn
The grounds comprise more than an acre and a half of land and
the terraced slope on which the house stands has been beautified by
natural stonewalls and a winding approach, and shrubbery is to be used
at various places.
The Elizabethan arch of the doorway gives into a vestibule of
hospitable size and thence into the hallway of the house. A curved
staircase and slate floor are pleasing features of this room. The slate,
which is laid in the irregular shaped pieces in which it is quarried, is in
several shades of gray-greens and follows the graceful curves of the
room in an unusually charming effect.
The new home which Mr. & Mrs. E. P. McFetridge are
building is nearing completion and the house is attracting the
admiration and attention of many visitors to Baraboo, probably more
than that of local people who have watched it grow and scarcely realize
how truly unusual it is.
Decorators arrived today to undertake this phase of the work
on the new home of Mr. and Mrs. McFetridge. Installation of the floor
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Trivia Section I
Island Water Power
At the left is the living room whose chief charm is the French
doors, which practically form two walls, and frame glimpses of the
marvelous view while at one end they open into the formal garden
making this seem almost a part of the house. At the front is a flagstone
terrace, which is to have piers of rock at intervals, joined by an iron
rail, the whole to be protected by an awning in the summertime.
A fireplace in this room is beautifully paneled in wood, and
bookshelves of unusual carving carry out the same note.
The bathroom of the main bedroom is one of the unusual
features of the house. It is built of glass squares, similar to tile but of a
dull finish glass in unusual violet shades, no two pieces alike, while the
border is of buff and green. The glass is imported from Italy and the
bathroom is not yet completed due to, the fact that more of the glass
must be secured.
Garage Is Built-In
A spacious garage is located under the north end of the house
and this is of fireproof construction. A stairway leads directly to the
upper hall.
There are many bits of Baraboo's history connected with the
house, making it truly part of the countryside in which it stands. Parts
of the outer construction of the chimney are built from the old stone
abutments of the iron bridge, which was recently replaced, by the
cement bridge on Second Avenue. The brackets, which support a rear
balcony, were the work of an old German iron-maker who once plied
his trade here. The original curbs, which surrounded the city park
before the city streets were paved, have been built into the house and
all of these details add to its character and interest.
Even the architect, Frank Riley of Madison, is closely
associated with Baraboo while it was Louis Siberz, a Baraboo boy,
who had much to do with the drawing of the plans.
Unusual Dining Room
A fireplace, which is the exact reproduction of one in Rudyard
Kipling’s English home, occupies an entire end of the dining room and
beyond this room is the kitchen and a breakfast room. The laundry also
opens off the kitchen and is on the main floor.
The second floor is divided into three units, the guest quarters,
the section occupied by the owners, and the maid’s room. The two
quest rooms open into an adjoining bath room which is finished in
shades of peach color and one of the rooms will be furnished with a
French theme while the other will be old English.
There are no closets in the house, built-in wardrobes offering
every convenience while the linen room is likewise fitted with sliding
drawers and enclosed cupboards.
In the owner's room a sleeping porch within a house is a
convenient feature, French doors making it possible to shut off one end
of the room into a sleeping porch. A fireplace of quaint tiles in this
room is one of the pleasant associations of the house, having been
made from tiles which were formerly in the fireplace of the children's
room of the McFetridge home on Fourth avenue 51 years ago.
Casement windows of the second floor throughout are of
leaded panes while the entire house is equipped with rolscreens, which
are built into the casements and are removed as easily as rolling up a
window shade.
Note: See the following pages for more information on the Island
Woolen Mill...
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Island Water Power
James A. McFetridge died in 1893. McFetridge's share in the
mill, 3/8 interest, was evenly divided among his four children and wife.
The sons, Edward P. McFetridge and William H. McFetridge,
assumed responsibility for the McFetridge portion of the partnership.
Most of the business, however, was conducted by Rich and Edward
McFetridge. William McFetridge's involvement in the day-to-day
operations was minimal. Later, he became involved in the McFetridge
Lighting Company, interior building design and landscaping, and west
coast sales.
During the late 1880s, business became poorer and poorer
mostly because of eastern competition and changes in wool industry
practices. Accordingly, for a year, Rich attempted to sell his 5/8
interest and was unsuccessful. In about January 1899, the partners
decided to discontinue operations. Rich moved from Baraboo and
continued to seek disposal of his interests.
The McFetridge heirs, in approximately January 1900, began
to operate the mill again with the understanding each had 1/5 interest.
Rich's 5/8 interest in the plant was rented by the McFetridges. The
McFetridge brothers and the overseer, Fred E. Morey, put out a small
line of samples and received some orders. “The McFetridge
Company” was adopted as the name.
Meanwhile, Rich increased his efforts to sell his shares. The
McFetridges, initially, were not interested in acquiring the shares
because they did not intend to be in the business permanently. By 1901
Rich still had not found a buyer, therefore, the McFetridges agreed to
purchase the 5/8 interest in real estate, buildings, and machinery for
$10,000. Upon this transaction, the old name of “Island Woolen
Company” replaced “The McFetridge Company.”
Initially, the Island Woolen Company manufactured wool,
plain and double twist cassimeres, doeskins, tweeds, blankets, and
yarns. The company's activities were centered in Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, and Iowa. Raw wool was purchased from
Island Woolen Mill Part II
The following was found on-line and may be of interest to
those doing research....I do not know if it corroborates what was
written on early pages. That is for the reader to decide, but the writer
believes that the earlier pages are correct.
“The predecessor of the Island Woolen Company was a firm
established at Baraboo, Wisconsin, by M.J. Drown in 1863-1864.
Drown was a local entrepreneur with numerous business interests and
affiliations such as a saw mill, furniture factory (“Baraboo
Manufacturing Company”), and a newspaper. Drown erected a
building on the banks of the Baraboo River and solicited wool from
customers. Drown apparently had several partners over the next ten to
twelve years. Consequently, the company's name varied and was at
times “Drown, Humphrey, and Company;” “Drown and Childs;”
“Drown and Andrews;” and “Drown and Vittum.” Drown sold an
interest in the company to William Andrews and D. S. Vittum in 1865.
Andrews was subsequently bought out by Drown and Vittum. In 1867,
the mill became a joint-stock company with the owners Vittum,
Drown, and Henry Rich. Later, in 1873, Drown and Alfred Avery
sold their interests to Rich and Vittum. The company then ceased to
operate as a stock company. During this time, the company's product
was not restricted to woolen goods and included colored and twisted
yarns; cassimeres; tweeds; blankets; and doeskins.
In 1875, James A. McFetridge sold his interest in a nearby
woolen mill at Beaver Dam and purchased 3/8 interest in the woolen
mill at Baraboo. At that time, the remaining 5/8 interest was controlled
by Henry Rich. The partnership formed between Rich and McFetridge
existed until 1893. From the mid to late 1870s William Rich, brother
of Henry, was a partner. Also, in the early 1880s, W.H. Hopkins
temporarily owned 1/4 interest in the partnership.
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Trivia Section I
Island Water Power
local farmers on an exchange system. That is, the mill would purchase
the wool and in return the farmer was able to select payment from the
mill's line of finished goods. The mill began selling some goods in the
east in 1889. By the mid-1900s, the focus of their markets had shifted
to predominantly the east, particularly New York. Later, in 1919, the
mill dispensed with the purchase of local wool because it was too
costly. Raw wool could be purchased from the east in the exact grade
required, eliminating processing. The majority of other supplies were
also purchased in the east.
Beginning in 1893, Island Woolen mill also operated the
McFetridge Lighting Company. The latter was established when
power from the mill was used to light the McFetridge family home.
Eventually operation was expanded to other customers, primarily
employees. The lighting company was incorporated in 1913. Attempts
were made to sell the lighting company in 1919-1920. Finally, in 1923
the McFetridge Lighting Company was absorbed by the Wisconsin
Power, Light, and Heat Company.
The Island Woolen Mill, in 1915, was receiving extensive
orders on its low grade woolen materials while nearby Reedsburg
Woolen Mill could not get business on its high grade fabrics.
Therefore, an agreement was reached which provided for Reedsburg's
handling of the surplus orders and Island's furnishing raw materials,
dyes, and superintendents. The Island Woolen Mill paid Reedsburg a
pre-determined price per yard of finished goods. This agreement was
discontinued in 1918 because the Island Woolen Mill expanded its
capacity.
In 1917, the company's management agreed with the United
States War Department that it should continue producing low grade
civilian goods, in the form of suiting fabric, rather than war products.
The woolen company operated on a two-season cycle. The lightweight
season (spring) ran from August to January. In turn the heavyweight
season (fall) ran from February to July. Goods were sold and booked,
through selling agents, during the first four to six weeks of each
season. Delivery was throughout the six-month period.
The volume of the company's business fluctuated considerably
from 1918 to 1920. The business was closed intermittently because of
the 1918 influenza epidemic; strikes among garment makers in New
York City; and unseasonably warm weather which delayed spring
orders from customers. Edward McFetridge, in his account of the
company's history, attributed the sporadic closures to the abrupt ending
of World War I. The slump in the woolen industry and poor market
conditions continued through 1921. Consequently, the mill turned to
the production of various types of blankets to keep the organization
intact. In the early 1920s, the mill's management proposed to its
principal selling agent several new lines, such as collars, clothing, and
automobile fabric, as well as expansion to include western and
Midwestern markets. Little action was taken on these suggestions.
Despite the occasionally poor business conditions, the mill expanded
its physical plant considerably from 1915 to 1925. During this time,
office, storage, factory, and picker buildings were constructed.
By 1922, the woolen industry had improved; the company had
increased the number of employees, and had more business than it
could manage. In fact, the company once again proposed that the
Reedsburg Woolen Mill produce some of its overflow since Reedsburg
lacked business. This agreement was not made. During this time the
mill had one general product, woolen goods used in the manufacture of
children's and men's lower priced suits. Overcoating [Overcutting?]
fabric and fabric for knickers was also made. The Island Woolen Mill's
goods were sold directly to principally eastern wholesale clothing
manufacturers who in turn sold a “ready-made” product to retailers
throughout the country.
In December 1923, the operation determined it was
advantageous to incorporate. Beginning in January 1924, the business
operated as a corporation rather than individuals in a co-partnership.
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Island Water Power
The company was incorporated in Delaware and had a license to do
business in Wisconsin. The corporate officers and board consisted of
the McFetridge family as well as company's superintendents, Fred
Morey and Frank Rachor.
From 1925 to 1927 the company attempted to expand its
product lines. Plaid flannel production was added in 1925. This
product, however, was apparently not sold under company's name.
Consideration was given to purchasing the Wisconsin Garment
Company so the mill could manufacture finished goods as well as the
fabric. At this time, the Island Woolen Mill also tried to expand its line
to include women's wear. Blankets were still produced for the
government, state institutions, and outing purposes. Less than one
percent of the mill's product during this time was sold in Wisconsin.
Beginning in 1930, the company produced automobile fabrics.
By 1939, the production breakdown was 60 percent automotive, 30
percent overcoating, and 10 percent men's and boy's suiting. In 1942,
the Baraboo Company was awarded a government contract for
overcoating. After World War II, the mill produced medium-priced
Scotch tweed fabric, but business began to falter in the mid-1940s.
Management attributed this decline to its production of coarse woolen
material, suitable to Island's equipment, when the market demand was
for material of a finer weave. In an attempt to remain in business, in
the late 1940s, management investigated the possibility of exporting
fabrics to South Africa and Rhodesia.
Until the plant closing, efforts were also made to renew
production of automobile fabrics, but failing business, coupled with
Edward McFetridge's poor health and inactivity, caused the owners,
throughout the 1940s, to consider selling the woolen mill. In 1943
consideration was given to turning the management of the mill over to
factors. In 1946, Edward McFetridge was reportedly interested in
disposing of the mill if the purchaser would maintain the mill for the
community's benefit. The mill closed sporadically throughout 1948,
and in April 1949 closed permanently. The Island Woolen Company
property was purchased in 1951 by Joseph H. Makler of Chicago.
Eventually Makler donated the property to Circus World Museum, Inc.
with the understanding that it would be managed by the Baraboo
Industrial and Expansion Group. All of the buildings, except the office
building, were subsequently destroyed in a fire.”
Note: The office building eventually ended up in the hands of
the Sauk County Historical Society.
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Island Water Power
Baraboo Manufacturing Company
Trivia Section I, Island Water Power, Illustration #1
Island Water Power
Section I, Island Water Power, Illustration #2
Island Water Power
Island Woolen Mill
circa 1891
Section I, Island Woolen Mill, Illustration #3
Island Water Power
Island Woolen Mill
North Section
Section I, Island Woolen Mill, Illustration # 4.0
Island Water Power
Woolen Mill in the throes of construction & expansion c1911
Trivia Section I, Island Water Power, Illustration #4.1
Island Water Power (circa October 1911)
This "Draft Tube"
not used..
L-R Fred Smith, Wm. McFetridge, Jed Howard, Amiel Smith, Frank Foster, Bill Patrick
Trivia Section I, Island Water Power, Illustration #4.2
Island Water Power (Spillway 1913)
Woolen Mill Spillway c1913
Trivia Section I, Island Water Power, Illustration #4.3
Island Water Power
Island Woolen Mill Front Office
Trivia Section I, Island Water Power, Illustration #4.4
Island Water Power
Island Woolen Mill...Main Office
Trivia Section I, Island Water Power, Illustration #4.5
Island Woolen Mill.....IWC Baseball Team
Trivia Section I, Island Water Power, Illustration #4.6
Island Water Power
Island Woolen Mill
South Section
Trivia Section I, Island Water Power, Illustration #5
Island Water Power
Dam Removal
Island Woolen Mill Dam Removal
Trivia Section, Section I, Island Water Power, Illustration #6